Lot 69 Airmail, 1918, 24¢ carmine rose & blue, center inverted (C3a), position 83, well centered, bright and rich colors, original gum, trifling thin spot, negligible crease and faint natural inclusion. Choice Very Fine appearance. Scott $275,000 ONE OF THE BEST CENTERED EXAMPLES OF THIS LEGENDARY INVERT AVAILABLE. Expertization: 1988 P.F. Certificate. Provenance: Floyd F. Starr

Realized $241,500

Lot 70 Airmail, 1918, 24¢ carmine rose & blue, center inverted (C3a), position 89, well centered, fresh rich colors, disturbed original gum, small thin spot and light crease at bottom left. Very Fine appearance. Scott $275,000 ONE OF THE MOST HANDSOME EXAMPLES OF THIS RENOWNED U.S. ERROR EXTANT. Expertization: 1991 P.F. Certificate.

Realized $218,500

Lot 32 o St. Louis, Mo., 1845, 20¢ black on greenish (11X3), type II, position 3, large even margins all around, manuscript cancellation, small part of red datestamp at lower right. Extremely Fine and choice. Scott $85,000 THE FINEST OF ONLY THREE RECORDED OFF-COVER EXAMPLES OF THE 20¢ GREENISH. Expertization: 1989 P.F. Certificate. Provenance: Worthington, Lapham, Weill Of the three recorded off-cover examples, the other two are type I from position 1, and have smaller margins with thins (both Ex-Faiman). There are also two covers recorded, a solo 20¢ franking and a 50¢ franking of two 20¢ singles used with 10¢ on gray lilac.

Realized $184,000

Lot 9 New Haven, Ct., 1845, 5¢ red on white (8XU1), magenta signature, cut square. Four even margins. Very Fine. Scott $25,000 Expertization: 1956 P.F. Certificate and "W.H.C." (Colson) backstamp. Provenance: Hunter, Dr. Bowers, Caspary One of only five to six recorded examples of the 5¢ red on white New Haven provisional.

Realized $46,000

Lot 62 1901, 2¢ Pan-American, center inverted (295a), particularly well centered, unusually strong colors for this invert. Fresh lightly hinged original gum. Negligible faint corner bend (quite minor and not even mentioned on the P.F. Certificate). Still Very Fine. Scott $45,000 ONE OF THE FRESHEST AND BEST CENTERED EXAMPLES OF THE FEW RECORDED THAT STILL POSSESS THEIR FULL ORIGINAL GUM. Expertization: clear 1991 P.F. certificate. The 2¢ is the rarest of the Pan-American inverts. It is believed that perhaps 200 were sold and about 150 unused examples remain. Of those 150 or so, most have disturbed gum or no gum and are noticeably off center. This is one of the few that has retained its full original gum. Scott notes that "Almost all unused copies of No. 295a have partial or disturbed gum. Values are for examples with full original gum that is slightly disturbed."

Realized $63,250

Lot 257 George Washington (1732-1799), First President of the U.S. (1789-97), Commander-in-Chief, Continental Army (1775-1781). Autograph Letter Signed as President, one page, 7¼ x 9, Philadelphia, March 30, 1795. To "Gen.l Lee" [General "Light Horse" Harry Lee] with integral address leaf addressed in Washington's hand and docketed by Lee. Washington writes in full: "If this letter should be received by you, it will be from Mr. Strickland, a gentleman of fortune from England who is desirous of seeing a little of Virginia (having already passed through the Eastern States) before returning to his own country. As you are now returned, or returning to the pursuits of rural life, Mr. Strickland who is in that line himself can give you some useful information in the practice of husbandry, but not so much on that as on acc't of his merits I beg leave to introduce him to your civilities. I am - Dear Sir Your Obed. & Affect. Serv. G. Washington" Some restoration including a bit of text where wax seal was removed, Very Fine. Estimate 15,000 - 20,000 General Henry "Light Horse Harry" Lee (1756-1818), a personal friend of Washington's, had a distinguished military career. He was the father of Robert E. Lee.

Realized $20,700

Lot 263 Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Third President of the U.S. (1801-1809). Autograph Letter Signed as President, half page, 8 x 10, Washington, June 21, 1804. To "H.E. [His Excellency] the Governor of Virginia", Jefferson writes in full: "It appearing that Philip Williams & Jacob Ray charged with having committed a felony within the district of Columbia, have fled from justice and have been found and arrested in the state of Virginia, it has become my duty on behalf of the said district to demand that the said Philip & Jacob be delivered up in order that they may be removed to the said district to be proceeded against according to law, which demand is hereby accordingly made, the necessary affidavits inclosed, and a person duly authorised to attend and recive [sic] the said fugitives on order of your Excellency, to whom I tender assurances of my high consideration and respect. Th: Jefferson" Excellent original condition with minor splits at folds. Estimate 15,000 - 20,000 FASCINATING THAT A SITTING PRESIDENT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN A LOCAL CRIMINAL PROCEEDING. The Governor of Virginia at this time was John Page (1743-1808), a close friend of Jefferson.

Realized $19,550

Lot 206 Franklin, Benjamin (1706-1790), Pennsylvania signer of the Declaration of Independence, inventor, philosopher, physicist, printer, diplomat. Autograph Letter Signed, one page, 8 x 9¾ Philadelphia, April 27, 1789. To his sister Jane, "Mrs. Mecom", in Boston, in full: "Dear Sister, I have receiv’d your kind letter of the 2.d Instant. I wish you would also acknowledge, when you write, the receipt of those that have come to your hands since you wrote last. By that means I should have the satisfaction of knowing that they have not miscarried. You mention nothing of a letter from me dated Feb. 22. which went by the Post. As you had inform’d me the Books did not sell and I feared the long and severe Winter straitned [sic] you towards the end, I desired you to draw on me for Forty Dollars. No such bill having appeared, I apprehend you may not have receiv’d the letter. I send enclosed the Copy of it taken in the Press, and desire you still to draw if you have occasion. I wrote about the same time to our friend Mrs Greene [Catharine Greene, widow of Nathaniel Greene] a long letter, I wish she may have receiv’d it. I never see your Newspapers, so know not what you mean by Laco whom you mention. My love to your daughter & to my great grand Niece. What age is she? I am ever your affectionate Brother B. Franklin" With integral address leaf in Franklin’s hand postmarked "N. York Apr. 29" straightline and manuscript "2/6" rate. Some reinforcing of small tears along right edge and some staining that is most noticeable on the address leaf, where there is also a small piece of blank margin torn out by the wax seal. Very Good condition overall. Estimate 15,000 - 20,000 AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE AND DESIRABLE FRANKLIN HOLOGRAPHIC LETTER. Expertization: Charles Hamilton Certificate of Authenticity.

Realized $40,250

Lot 286 Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th President of the U.S. (1861-1865), assassinated. Autograph Letter Signed as President, one page, 5 x 8, Washington, January 12, 1863, to Secretary of War, Edward M. Stanton, on Executive Mansion letterhead, in full: "I intended proposing to you this morning, and forgot to, that [Carl] Schurz and Stahl [Stahel, Julius] should both be Major Generals. Schurz to take Sigel's old corps, and Stahl to command cavalry. They, together with Sigel, are our sincere friends; and while so much may seem rather large, any thing less is too small. I think it better be done. Yours truly, A. Lincoln" Extremely Fine condition. Estimate 10,000 - 15,000 Both Schurz and Stahel were promoted from Brigadier to Major General in March of 1863, directly as a result of this letter. The fact that he considered both men "sincere friends" is an indication of his desire to promote high ranking officers who shared his political views to counteract those factions within the Union who disagreed with him.

Realized $27,600

Lot 309 Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), 32nd President of the U.S. (1933-1945). Signature and written bids on a bidsheet for a stamp auction while Governor of New York, one page, 5¾ x 8¾ Albany, N.Y., ca. June, 1929 [date of sale June 12-13], additionally F.D.R. has written "Executive Mansion, Albany NY" as his address and has entered bids on 13 lots ranging from $2.25 to $9.50; he was apparently successful on two because the auctioneer has crossed out the other 11 bids. Estimate 1,000 - 1,500 A VERY FINE AND UNIQUE COLLECTIBLE OF OUR STAMP COLLECTING PRESIDENT. The auction was run by Max Ohlman of 116 Nassau St., New York City who, in 1931, proposed the Governor for membership in the American Philatelic Society.

Realized $6,325

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